This invention relates generally to a manually operated pump nasal sprayer and more particularly to a nasal sprayer having a folding actuator mounted on the sprayer that can be used as a dust cover and a shipping clip preventing actuation during shipping and storage when in the closed position, and can be used as a finger grip when in the open position.
Covers for manually operated pump nasal sprayers are needed to keep the nasal adaptor of the sprayer clean and free from unwanted dust, dirt and bacteria. A nasal sprayer having a folding actuator can be multi-functional having various applications, such as a dust cover, a shipping clip and a finger grip. While there are numerous mechanisms in the art that have separate covers for a nasal adaptor, none are multi-purpose and versatile enough to be useful in both an open and closed position for different functions.
Generally, dust covers and actuators for nasal pump sprayers are separate elements wherein the dust covers are cup-like caps and are snapped on or screwed on the sprayer such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,429 entitled "Manually-Operable Spray Dispenser With Locking Mechanism", issued to Bishop et al. The dust cover in the Bishop patent is a cup-like cap mounted on the winged actuator and the actuator is mounted on the screw cap of the sprayer. The separateness of each element requires a certain agility and effort in removing the cover from the sprayer. Moreover, the user must keep track of the cover, while using the sprayer, so the cover is not misplaced, dropped or contaminated. It is generally more expensive to manufacture separate, distinct parts as opposed to a single part. Covers like those shown in the Bishop patent may achieve their stated objectives, however it is desirable to have a cover that is multi-functional, yet economical, easy to manufacture and assemble and easy to use.